Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of drug-coated balloons (DCB) and bare metal stents (BMS) in treating lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (LEASO). METHODS: Clinical data of 83 patients who underwent LEASO angioplasty with DCB or BMS at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College from July 2021 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the DCB (n=43) and BMS (n=40) groups based on the treatment method. Changes in ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse volume recording (PVR), vascular endothelial function indicators, incidence of complications, and patency rate were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Three months after the surgery, the ABI and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the DCB group were higher, while the upstroke time (UT), percentage of mean arterial pressure (%MAP), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels were lower than those in the BMS group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P>0.05). One year after the surgery, the patency rate of the DCB group was higher than that of the BMS group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DCB treatment for LEASO is superior to BMS in improving vascular function, protecting endothelial function, and achieving a one-year patency rate.